Kremzeek75's review of: Transmetal2 Megatron

Megatron--supreme tyrant, evil genius, and commander of the Predacons--combines brute strength, military cunning, ruthlessness and terror to achieve cruel methods of oppression. Fused with original Megatron's spark essence and thrown into a volcano, he rises into his most powerful and befitting incarnation yet: the dragon. Breathes pyro-beam torpedoes that give birth to flames burning 1,000 times hotter than oil. Deploys wings in beast, ground-speeder and robot modes. Can fly up to 400 mph. Tail fires electrostatic energy and captures enemies for later torture. Travels up to 250 mph as ground-speeder while retaining full combat capabilities. Now experiences difficulty controlling rage, leaves excessive wake of fire and devastation. Recognizes this weakness but believes new Transmetal 2 form will empower him to defeat Optimal Optimus.

Finally! A Beast Wars Megatron a collector could be proud of. Being the third model on the same idea, TM2 Megatron is better looking than the first and bolder/fiercer than the second. I purchased this Megatron quite a while ago, and I was thoroughly impressed even when I first saw him in the box, which is a relatively huge box by comparative standards (Other than Optimal Optimus, this Megatron came in the same size box as Tigerhawk, Depth Charge, and Rampage). Of course, like most American Transformers, I had to go through what felt like a million twist-ties before actually being able to hold him, but once I braved the rapids, man, he was stacked.

Alternate Mode:Megatron's primary alternate mode is one huge dragon; secondary mode is a rolling tank-dragon of sorts. First, let's tackle the dragon mode. In a word? Mega-Terrifying. Standing a little more than a foot tall, the features in this mode are impeccable. The wings are a 3 layered system on each hinge which extend and retract at the touch of a manual lever. The wings are demonic looking; made of a clear plastic which is lightly shaded from a dark purple morphing into a fire yellow. The hinges themselves are colored in a metallic red with some dangerous looking points on them. The legs are a standard red, and feature many points of articulation for stance and display. The body itself is a combination of the metallic red/yellow paint and the standard red fare; Megatron's bright purple Predacon gem stands out but doesn't take away from the aura of the character. Now for the neck and tail: for better or worse, they contain a rubber element that works and doesn't work. For the yays, it provides a flexibility that actually makes the creature seem alive when handling. The Nays? I have had this Megatron for quite a while, and he has been on display in robot mode all of that time, during which, the rubber segment joining the head to the body has permanently hung itself to the left., so now when in dragon mode, he constantly looks like Ghidrah from Godzilla. However, due to the fact that this dragon's face is perhaps the best representation I have ever seen of a dragon in the entire Transformers Galaxy, it still inspires awe. The eyes are a green gem of sorts, the horns are of appropriate size, and the scales along the neck are killer. Lastly, the two front arms are small like Megatron's predecessors, butthey are still articulate and actually look like they could pose a threat to the unwary Autobot. The minor tank mode is really useless in my opinion; I mean, how often to do see a dragon on wheels? It's an OK minor mode, but I have never displayed him as such.

Robot Mode:Ok, first of all, as I am doing this review, I am taking pictures to accompany it, and transforming Megatron into robot mode is by far the hardest transformer I have ever encountered. I love this figure so much, but it takes WAY too long and is WAY too complicated. However, once done, it stands to reason that it is worth it. Typically, I don't particularly care for asymmetrical figures- I like a figure to look even with perhaps a shoulder cannon here and there. Unfortunately, this Megatron follows the same basic design that a good percentage of the Beast Wars figures had: the animal face for the arm/hand. Honestly, I think it looks terrible, but on Megatron, much to my surprise, it actually works for him. In robot mode, he still retains a ferocity that would make most Autobots cringe. The only real gripe I have is that Megatron's face has this permanent look on his face that has manga written all over it. For myself, I prefer the flat expressionless face that the G1 line had. Jokingly, Megatron's face reminds me of a really upset Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Megatron also features a yellow shaded face plate and firing rocket at the top of his helmet. This is, by far, one of the best incarnations Megatron has ever matured into with the exception of the Armada/Energon versions.

Transformation: 10 - (if breaking that scale is possible, it would happen). If this is complicated for me, imagine what a ten year old is going to go through trying to transform him. A trip to the funny farm might be in order. Directions are a MUST.Durability: 8 - In my confusion and frustration to transform him, the parts held up quite well considering I almost forced a few moves one time. The 2 point loss is only for the malformation of the rubber neck.Fun: 9 - Trust me, this is the crème dela crème of the Predacon team. Megatron rules all.Price: 6 - If I remember correctly, I think I paid in the area of $35USD at a retail store. It was well worth such a magnificent figure.Summary: 9 - If it wasn't for the hard transformation, it would easily be a 10. TM2 Megatron is one of the pinnacles of my collection. If you are a BW diehard and/or a Megatron fan, this one is for YOU.